Moving to Dubai: A Complete Guide to Make Moving to Dubai Easy

Dubai is one of the most popular destinations not only for vacation but for living as well. Everyone, who is looking for a new residence, will surely add a touch of spice to their life by moving to Dubai.

The capital of the Emirate of Dubai has the reputation of a glamour city, but what is actually hidden under that glitz? Dubai, just like any other big city, has a substantial share of bureaucratic red tape and complicated procedures that can turn an easy task into a severe migraine headache.

Essential Documents Requirement

Before moving to Dubai, You should know that before you get the Dubai residence visa all expats need to register for an Identity Card called Emirates ID. You should keep the Emirates ID with you all the time otherwise you may be fined if you are unable to show it if asked.

Some time employers help their new employees in preparing for all the documents but this is not the case most of the time. So it is highly advisable to ask your hiring manager to for assistance in preparing all the documentation.

Find Accommodation

Finding a place to live in Dubai may be one of the most serious challenges people meet when they change their place of residence (of course, if their job does not supply permanent accommodation). The real estate market in Dubai is constantly changing, and rent payment, as well as property prices, varies according to the market.

Things like rent, groceries, and bills can amount to a significant sum. Therefore, it is essential to have this planned before you arrive in Dubai, even if it is temporary accommodation and especially if you are moving to Dubai with kids.

Secure the Right Documents

There are plenty of rules that are supposed to be observed in Dubai to get a residency visa, which presupposes a pile of documentation, such as Educational Degree Certificates, Professional Qualification Certificates, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, original passport, Birth Certificate, driver’s license, medical records, etc. Always remember that you need to follow the country’s rules and stay on the right side of the law.

Get Professional Help

Moving locally is a difficult time for many, but when you are moving to another country, it may be an increasingly bleak prospect. Whether it is a home move or a work transfer, a professional moving company can help you on your journey, from the very beginning to the end of your relocation.

Research Education Options

If you are going to move to Dubai with your kids, start researching local schools as soon as possible since many of them have constantly growing queues. Take into account the travel distance from your potential place of residence to the school and also peak times. If both parents are working, think about how your kid is supposed to get to and from the school because schools in the UAE usually start and end early.

Find a Job

If you have the right resources, to find a job in Dubai will be fairly easy. Most companies advertise available positions on their websites. In that way, an applicant can apply for a job online rather than attending face-to-face interviews. Once your application is chosen among others, you will be called for an interview.

Get Social

It may be extremely easy to get stuck between your family and work, but social life also plays a significant role if you want to feel at home in Dubai. Meeting with friends over a cup of coffee or going shopping at a mall can leave you with a wonderful warm feeling that you are in the right place.

Get Health Insurance

Make sure that you get a reliable health insurance card from your employer. By UAE Law employers in Dubai are required to provide health insurance to their employees. You will need to have a health card to get free or low-cost treatment in public hospitals. Otherwise, it can be very expensive.

Things You Should Know Before Moving to Dubai

Living Cost in Dubai It is true that Dubai is an expensive city with so many options to spend money. However, it totally depends on your lifestyle. You should keep in mind that mostly your salary will go to accommodation. You can save money by cooking at home and instead of shopping at big shopping malls you can do shopping in traditional markets called Souk.

English is the Main Language The official language of Dubai is Arabic. However, due to more than 80% of the Dubai population is consists of expats you don’t have to learn Arabic before moving to Dubai. In fact, instead of learning Arabic you should be fluent in the English language. There is a possibility that you may not hear a single word of Arabic for many days.

Peaceful City According to the World Economic Forum Dubai is among the peaceful city in the world. Due to continues economic activities, best law and order situations and better life security, Dubai is the safest city in the world.

Politics and Media You should know that electronic, print and social media is very much controlled by the authority. Anything against Royal family, sex and politics are strictly prohibited on any media. So it is highly advisable to keep yourself away from the dirt of political argument.

All the social media sites including Youtube, Facebook and Twitter are heavily filtered. Thousands of websites are not accessible in Dubai due to different reasons.

Constructions and Traffic Jam It is a general opinion that 25% of cranes in the world are working in Dubai. Construction is something that never stops in Dubai. Due to extreme weather in Summer working hours for the construction are a bit different. They start early in the morning like at the dawn and halt from 10 am and then again restart their work at 4 pm till late at night.

Similarly, traffic jams in Dubai are very common. According to the transport authority, Vehicle density in Dubai is one of the highest in the world. The number of cars in Dubai has doubled in the last decade. Dubai govt is trying their best to encourage residents to use more public transport instead of their own cars.

Dubai is not an Oil-Rich It is a general myth that Dubai’s economy is based on oil. Reality is that Dubai is not an oil-rich state. Dubai income is purely based on tourism and trade. Dubai has become a business hub in the last 2 decades and it is growing every passing year. Almost all multi-national companies have their offices in Dubai now.

Extra-Marital Relationship With all the liberal laws, Dubai is still an Islamic state and things like extra-marital relationships in Dubai are strictly now allowed. Any display of public affection like kissing, touching even sometimes holding hands is strictly prohibited in Dubai. If you are from western countries, You should be very careful and try not to get intimate in public places.

You may have heard of many stories of couples ended in jail and then later deported due to caught in an extramarital relationship or having sex in public.

Postal Mail Address This might seems very strange for you that Dubai city does not have any street address. Each building in Dubai is being assigned postal code. So if you want to go somewhere in Dubai you must know the PO Box code.

Dubai Weather Dubai has very hot in summer and because it is situated on the coastline, the humidity level remains high whole year. The average rainfall is just 3.5 inches per year. However, except 4,5 month Dubai weather is usually pleasant. It is good that you move to Dubai in the Winter so you get familiar with the weather before it gets too warm in summer.

All the buildings in Dubai are fully air-conditioned so mostly it doesn’t feel warm in Dubai even in the months of June and July when the temperature outside reaches 50-degree celsius.

Hight Number of Male Population Due to the presence of larger no of labours in Dubai, 70% of the population in Dubai is consist of men. According to the recent survey, Three out of four are men and one is a woman. Despite this unbalance, Dubai is still a very safe place for women. So you don’t have to worry about if you are a solo woman and planning to move to Dubai.

Lowest Un-Employment Rate in the World Dubai has the lowest unemployment rate in the world. Dubai has become an economic hub and there is a large number of development and construction activities are going on. Expats from all over the world come to Dubai in search of jobs and mostly get jobs with high salaries.

Alcohol & Nightlife Dubai is famous for its exotic nightlife and amazing nightclubs. You can never get bored at night in Dubai. Like every other Muslim country, alcohol is not allowed in Dubai. However, because of the so many expats living in Dubai, the government allowed alcohol to serve in many hotels and restaurants. So you don’t have to worry about getting alcohol in Dubai just don’t take it in the streets.

Prepare for the Culture Shock Though Dubai is very open to the visitors still there are chances that you feel culture shock here especially if you are from a western country. Like in the month of Ramadan, You will not find anything to eat at day time and even if you find something, you should not eat or drink openly. Also in public places, you should wear moderate dresses especially if you are a woman.

Final Words

As mentioned before, it is important to understand that life in Dubai will never include a grey day, so if you are looking for a new adventure, moving to Dubai is definitely worth it!